This Hungarian Kalocsai embroidery motif is from a tablecloth which we purchased when visiting Hungary. Hungarian embroidery is quite famous. You can see more examples here. While
Here I executed a Kalocsai pattern stamped in blue on the white fabric, purchased in Hungary, using the colors indicated under the stamp. It is done in the simple satin stitch and stem stitch, using size 8 perle cotton. The edging is in the buttonhole stitch.
In 1989, I entered a contest the aim of which was to design a cross stitch in honor of the Constitution. This was my attempt, to translate some of Kaloscai color and design into cross stitch. It did not win anything. However I gained the experience that the simple transfer of color and design elements does not yield an equally attractive result.
The rules I followed are:
- Bind the flowers together with green stems
- Combine dark pink and light pink in one flower
- Have an intermediate color pink
- Combine pink with yellow-orange or dark yellow accents
- Combine dark yellow with light yellow in flowers
- Combine lavender with purple in flowers accented with dark yellow
- Combine red with maroon in flowers, using light yellow accents
- Make a large pink flower and a large red flower
- Use sprays of forget-me-nots, and small round flowers.
I am still searching for the reason those rules work so well in the Kalocsai embroideries, as opposed to in the cross-stitch, or other places.
